A bunch of people are re-thinking vacation because of high gas prices. But don't give up. A vacation can help you cope with that daily grind. Your mind and body need to take a break sometimes.

One solution is camping. If you camp, you can do part of your own cooking. That will save you a few bucks over eating in restaurants. It is also cheaper than staying in a hotel. More money saved. Campgrounds are often close to free stuff like hiking trails and beaches. You save on entertainment costs. A bicycle rack is a good investment -- saves gas.

With all of that extra money, you can better afford gasoline.

But you could undo all of the savings, depending on how you camp. Americans don't camp to get away from it all. They take it all with them. If you have to have air conditioning, television, and a king-sized bed, you are going to need a large vehicle such as a truck to tow a trailer, or a motor home. The trick is a tent or a small popup camper. With a tent, you can go camping in a car.

In 1962, we camped at Mammouth Cave and Cumberland Gap with three kids. We had a 36 horsepower Volkswagen with a roof rack, a gasoline stove and a tent. We drove about 400 miles and camped for a week. We spent about $60 in 1962 money. It would cost you several hundred dollars now, but that's still cheap.

When we got a popup camper, we pulled it with a six-cylinder Maverick. Still cheap.

Do your camping close to home and save even more. We once camped for a weekend less than 10 miles from home. I was able to tow the camper to the lake and run back home for the boat.

We still camp in a tent sometimes. Being a cheap skate, I always enjoy saving money.
Howard